23 Minutes to Sunrise (2012) User Reviews

pointless

[panagopoulosantonis · 3/10 · 28 July 2013]

really pointless.

i tried to see the point of this one.

OK it has a plot a fair good plot .. at least in start. it has fair good acting but its really low budget no special effect at all just 1-2 sceneries only 5-6 actors during the film u r expecting a lot of thinks to happen it has the potential for a medium (more possible) to good rated film after the film ended ......... i am so sorry to say that seems that they just let the film end ... just end - with no try to make even an average ending due to his end this film is 100% pointless plz do not waste your time. better see something else

Flat out awful

[juice2305-966-675788 · 1/10 · 19 April 2013]

Don't waste your time. This is one of the most boring pieces of crap that I have seen in quite some time. It makes absolutely no sense. It goes nowhere. It's not scary, it's not suspenseful, it's just flat out dull. A couple of the characters were interesting but nothing interesting happens and the end totally leaves you hanging. In fact, two of the characters seemed to just simply disappear. I read a review on here that said this could be a Horror movie. Are you kidding me? I don't know what movie he/she was watching. But if you are curious and have an hour and about 18 minutes of your life to waste, then have at it. But don't say you weren't warned.

Please do not waste your time!

[Andrewfagan · 1/10 · 1 April 2013]

This has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I don't know how this averages a 4 out of 10. I would have given it a zero myself if that were at all possible. This movie exudes zero suspense coupled with terrible acting for a most terrible viewing experience. The timing makes absolutely no sense. When I was told something big would happen in 23 minutes only to find out that it takes like an hour in real time I was livid. Even at the end when the gunman is about to end the waitresses life I could care less if she bargained with the girl to stay alive. None of the characters were likable not to mention one of the characters robbed a retard for absolutely no reason. I urge you to please find something more productive to do for an hour and a half. This movie only brings about utter disappointment. Perhaps it would have been watchable if done as a short story in real time but that's neither here nor there. Shame on you 23 Minutes to Sunrise for wasting my time

Worst movie you will ever see

[jbrowne83 · 1/10 · 20 May 2013]

Worst acting, terrible plot, completely uninteresting, did I mention bad acting? I would rather be punched in the throat than ever have to sit through that movie again. I've seen better performances by drunk homeless people on the subway. I had to actually fast forward through most of it because I couldn't handle how embarrassed I was for the actors. Whoever plays the main character Eddie seriously needs to find another line of work because acting is just not in the cards for him. I was expecting a horror movie but it never gets scary, there is no character development, just shallow characters often repeating their lines over and over as if that is all it takes for you to understand their characters.

You gotta be kidding me

[maxime-chesneau · 1/10 · 21 March 2013]

I really didn't expect much from this movie, and I probably should have trust my instinct and pass on it. I wouldn't say everything was bad in this movie, but about 96percent of it was AWFUL. "23 minutes to sunrise" is the worst horror/thriller or whatever you wanna call it I've seen in a long time. (SPOILER) The idea of making it all happen in 23 minutes could have been great if it had been treated the right way, but here, there's something really really wrong. 19 minutes in their world are 1h20 in ours and suddenly, 4 minutes runs in 2. Bulls*** . We don't care about any of the characters, we don't care about the ending, we don't care about anything. That's awful. Forget it. A movie made only for the actors to pay their taxes, and still not sure about that, is never a good flick. 1 out of 10 because 0 is not an option.

Don't waste your time

[shaferd77 · 1/10 · 30 October 2013]

The writing was elementary, at best. It was extremely hard sitting through the whole mess. Hope whoever wrote this will consider another occupation. I feel for the actors that had to get through this. The plot seemed to go in one direction and then just ended. We read the reviews and hoped to have an enjoyable evening, but less than half way through, we could hardly sit through the remainder. We did stay, hoping that it would get better and end with something that would bind it all together, but it only got worse. I do have to say that although the actors somewhat tried, it all fell short of all of the hype that I had read. I've seen low budget films that had a decent plot, but this just was not one of them.

An Interesting Slow-Burning Thriller

[HorrorFan2013 · 7/10 · 31 July 2013]

Clocking in at a brief 78 minutes, 23 Minutes to Sunrise is hard to classify in terms of specific genre. It contains elements of drama, suspense, horror, and even war, as it tells the tale of the two employees and six customers of the Sunrise Diner. Although it is Eddie that is the main protagonist in the film, it is through Sheila, the diner's waitress, that we see the main interactions of the film. The moments shared between she and Eddie prove to be the strongest in the movie.

Recently returned from his second tour of Iraq and Afghanistan, Eddie is trying to piece his life together and find out what direction he wants it to take. Sheila and Eddie bond over their many late nights working together at the diner, and a deep friendship develops. But when a familiar face from his days at war shows up to the diner, all hell will break loose.

23 Minutes to Sunrise is a very engaging and interesting film that is allows for the viewer to think deeply about the past, the future, and their own view on eternal life. Adding to that is the interesting cinematography of the piece and excellent performances. Each of the actors, with perhaps a couple exceptions, brings great depth to their characters, even with a small amount of screen time.

This all makes the film sound very serious, but in fact, it is also very entertaining. Eric Robert's performance as Daniel is incredibly fun to watch. But it is Jilanne Klaus' Sheila that is the driving force of the film. She is the one figure that connects all of the characters together, allowing for both intense and intimate moments to be shared on screen.

If you are in the mood for a thriller that is a bit deeper than the usual heist film, 23 Minutes to Sunrise is one that you will want to check out. Both enjoyable and thought-provoking, it is one to look out for.

A Faustian deal for the 21st century.

[Unshaken_Unstirred · 9/10 · 20 March 2013]

can you say Faustian deal? For those of you who aren't familiar with Faustus, it boils down to this: you make a deal with the devil (normally for power), he follows through, you never repent, he gets your soul. The story was most famously told by Marlowe, but it dates back to the middle ages or possibly earlier. This movie is short, and certainly low budget, but it presents an interesting angle on the Faustian deal: no ramifications. You are offered something you want, you say yes, you get it, you have to live with it. The characters are clichéd, but Faustian characters are always clichés. If you expect a movie with a 200 million dollar budget, this isn't for you. Also, if you are looking for a horror movie, this isn't one. That being said, this is an entertaining movie. the antagonist plays well. If there is one thing i would change about this movie, I would make it more about the girl accompanying him. The Faustian deal is presented but if they had included flashbacks to her life, they could have driven home why she was so unhappy. As is, it is left to your imagination, and at the end of the movie, i'd have still taken the deal. You're lonely and tormented? So is half the human race, and they don't get to basically be super heroes.

Nighthawks with a twist

[Mr_Shine74 · 7/10 · 7 June 2013]

I have absolutely no other reason for choosing to watch this little film other than it sounded interesting…I love talky films where you Know something is up but you just can't figure out what, and this film pulls that off perfectly.

The film starts off filling in a little back story of all the characters, how they end up being at the diner, and establishing just enough of their characters as we need to set the scene.

And onto the scene, set in a pretty standard diner in American, in the early hours of the morning, almost puts me in mind of that painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, put in the present day, maybe that's where writer/director Jay Kanzler picked up his core inspiration? So that's the scene set, now the players.

Working the night shift in the diner we have the chef (Eddie, a young War Vet played by Dingani Beza) and the waitress (Sheila, played Jilanne Klaus), the patrons include a middle aged couple trying to fix a struggling marriage, a young couple who are on the edge of a crime spree, and our mysterious couple, an older man, who has no regard for others (Played by Eric Roberts) and younger girl, who has a secret (Played by Nia Peeples) Now all these characters all have their own story lines through most of this film, they occasionally play off each other but they are essentially separate, and all the little stories are interesting to see play out, all the while establishing their characters. Then we have the the mysterious couple, I can't say much about them without giving the story away but it's clear from early on that there is something more than normal happening within their little story.

Now this is a short film, only 1 hour and 18 minutes long, but I'm thankful for that, I really think writer/director Kanzler got the length of this movie perfect for all the different characters to develop and their stories to fill out and eventually converge in what I felt was a really powerful and intense ending.

A very well written, stylish, and for the most part, well acted film, why I say "for the most part" is because there were a few scenes that I felt either the acting talent was wavering, or they were struggling with a line that could be seen by some folks as being a little bit corny. Now don't let this put you off the film, as I said, it was well acted for the most part, and having one or two cringes for the occasional corny line is worth it to see how the full story plays out.

Well worth a watch by the talky fans out there.

Good Drama film

[powerd2007 · 7/10 · 22 May 2013]

first of all: THIS IS A DRAMA FILM!

It just ends where others would begin as a good story does, letting viewers guessing about the rest.

It's not a horror or thriller or action survival film.

The wrong people are coming to it that's why the low rating, don't let it fool you.

As a drama it is pretty good living the end open.

If you want a horror, a b-movie or satanism you are in the wrong place.

But with you want a good drama that have characters struggling with their lives when the oddity come it could be a well choice to watch.

Loved this movie

[tony-e-ruff · 8/10 · 13 April 2013]

I thought this movie was very good. I really like the characters and felt like I connected with Eddie. Some of the things that he was thinking out loud about are things that I myself have contemplated.

I thought the dialog was very well written and enjoyed the witty conversations between the characters. I especially enjoyed the manic-depressive type behaviors that the young criminal displayed. I have known people who actually behave like that.

Shelia's character was also very well played as she demonstrated the cycle of abuse to the viewer.

I also like towns like Sauget, IL and the gritty feel that they have. Thanks for reading.

Entertaining Movie with Only Some Minor Hiccups

[sandralove-638-151920 · 7/10 · 21 March 2013]

"23 Minutes to Sunrise" starts off strong, the opening credits introducing the players of the film one at a time with some great cinematography by DP Chris Benson.

We jump into things with Eddie (Dingani Beza), a veteran of the war in Iraq who naturally has seen some terrible things - and one horrible "person" in particular. He's gone back to school after his tour, not looking for a job (the man already has one, he points out quite clearly) but looking for life - and boy does he find it at work, the Sunrise Diner, with its share of weirdos and a pretty, sweet waitress named Sheila (Jilanne Klaus) to even it all out.

Daniel (Eric Roberts, "The Dark Night," "The Expendables") and Hannah (Haley Busch), who we'll call a couple "old souls," grab a booth in the diner. Ted (comedian Bob Zany, "The Informant") and his wife Rachel (Nia Peeples, "Half Past Dead," "Pretty Little Liars") are already there going on about their marital problems, while star-crossed but all-hope- lost armed robbers Donald (Tom Sandoval) and Grace (Kristen Doute) enter a bit after.

We learn that Hannah literally has a life-long dilemma, and Daniel makes her a proposition, an offer for her to, let's say, trade her problem with someone else. It's 4:37AM and she has 23 minutes to find that person. Interestingly, she's in the perfect place (but doesn't realize it at first), where the broken hearts sharing their midnight miseries have gathered.

Donald and Grace eventually hold the diner up, Daniel watches everything unfold in disciplined pleasure (we know he's done this kind of thing for a long time now), Eddie gets in the middle, and Sheila gets a gun held to her head. All hell breaks loose in these few minutes before sunrise.

The script, written by Jay Kanzler (who also directed) and Patrick Pinkston, is solid, its biggest problems being some bad dialogue here and there and the execution between the characters of Eddie and Sheila. The two had chemistry as friends, but in trying to go beyond that at one point, they lost some believability.

The majority of the movie takes place in the diner, and Kanzler and his team deserve a great deal of credit for writing, shooting, and pacing the film properly to keep things interesting. It's certainly worth your time - it was worth mine - and I would be on the look-out for anything the crew puts together in the future.

Cool Movie Kind of Falls Apart

[luvkylie003 · 6/10 · 3 April 2013]

I liked this a lot in the beginning. The acting is well enough, and the whole storyline though it seems like its happened a million times before, is written in an interesting way.

The film grabs you in much the same way "Drive" did with a stand-out track playing over the opening credits as the characters are introduced and Eric Roberts watches like death over a burning car covered in bluish fire, a hue used well throughout the movie.

Things are still interesting in the diner, but it does slow down, and the actor who played Eddie -- his performance isn't too believable.

Things heat up toward the end of the second act and tough decisions are made. I didn't quite get the message. I didn't whether I should be happy for one of the characters or feel let down.

Still -- if you're interested in these types of movies or maybe you're a filmmaker who needs to see how to and how not to keep something interesting when you have only one location -- maybe you wanna see this.

A rare and interesting character study of the mundane and what may lie beyond

[mecheart · 8/10 · 24 June 2013]

Few films these days dare to stand on characterization alone. Those rare ones that do seldom succeed to entertain let alone interest the viewer as effectively as '23 Minutes To Sunrise'. In an era of mega budget computer animated rapid fire explosions of simulated violence that the Hollywood of our age has embraced as neo religion, the experience of viewing a film that depends solely on the performance of its cast is highly refreshing.

Eddie is a young combat veteran lost in a quiet sea of introspection where a strong undertow of troubling memories perpetuates within him a cycle of longing for more than the mundane but finds him too comfortable to take that leap into what might lie beyond.

He works the graveyard shift as a cook at an all night inner city diner with Sheila the waitress, an attractive forty something southern bell whose eyes seem to constantly search ahead for a kinder relief from her rough and erosive life at the hands of an abusive spouse who spends his days smoking pot in front of the TV. Although she could never summon the courage to liberate herself, she is quick to offer honest aid to a complete stranger. She is a woman who knows that a higher form of thought exists, direly needs to experience it, but cannot comprehend its beginning.

Rachel and Ted - diner patrons - are a long time married couple who've passed their physical and romantic prime for one another. He is wholly insecure but has functioned as a passive aggressive in the long, failed relationship, and she is bored duller by his every word yet some faint gleam in her eye holds her in his presence. She is not quite ready to leave him, and he is certain she no longer loves him, and so is trying his best to push her away. Together their hesitant parting is an insufferable burden and yet they remain in each others company.

Donald and Grace are a young couple whose love can end or begin only in tragedy. She is a beautiful young woman possessed of a great ability to love even in the face of a man whose immature insecurities have cost the lives of random strangers. She has love to give, and no matter the depths to which he descends, she will ride into hell by his side if it comes to that. Donald on the other hand loves nothing - not even himself. Somewhere along the line he was disappointed so badly that that disappointment became first a soul wrenching self pity and then hatred of everyone and everything. The night he walks into the diner with Grace is the night his story ends, but not before an encounter with something his pathetic understanding of reality cannot comprehend. Grace could have done so much better in her choice of who to love.

Hannah has grown tired of life, of absolute loneliness in crowds and yet she appears to be a beautiful and interesting young woman that any man would fall over himself to meet and know. Her extreme melancholy causes her to reunite with an old acquaintance, one she remembers as having shown compassion if not pity, but he is a man who has never experienced either. She will meet him that night at the diner to seek from him that nonexistent mercy, to plead her case for a release from him to a better life. Poor Hannah just wants to be normal, to experience the mundane world that is all that the other patrons and employees of the diner have ever known and wish to escape - save for one of them.

Daniel. Oh, Daniel. A sly, debonair, joker that one is. Ready with a smile that could cut steel, ready to imitate the appearance of being alive ... so much so that an old acquaintance believes him capable of caring about her plight. And the cook, Eddie? Daniel knows him too. Daniel knows everyone. They just don't know it yet and that is better for them. For, as Daniel himself says "Few people meet me twice". Daniel is the wild card, the odd "man" in the room. His presence heightens the experience of all others involved and any normal person can smell quick doom in the exhalations of his cigarette smoke. Daniel knows the score no one else would dare to keep.

These characters come together in the diner, very late one night when the cool reality of a concrete sidewalk may be all that awaits beyond the door to the outside or where that first step might take you to hell itself. The interactions between the group are reason enough to see this film.

The characters are that good. Got a bit carried away, but at any rate check out '23 Minutes To Sunrise'. It's a surprisingly good film hailing from a small budget that provides more entertainment than many films with a hundred times the funding.

Needed a little more horror.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 22 November 2023]

A diner plays hosts to a very different group of people, one of the couples however hold a very strange and dark secret.

Imagine a snapshot of a horror movie, that's what this film is, the build up, without the bite.

It's a story, and you the viewer are left to fill in the blanks, to imagine the blood bath for yourself, if you can use your imagination, you can ponder all sorts, from the plane crash to the ending, what would he have done when he got his hands on that waste of space?

Now, in not normally much of a fan of Eric Roberts, not sure if that's him, or the calibre of film they he usually appears in, but I quite liked him in this, he played the part well.

I wouldn't say it's brilliant, but it's worth seeing.

6/10.

Slow Movie That Stays Interesting

[nburgos002 · 6/10 · 29 March 2013]

The movie starts off with a lot of kick, but it slows down when everyone gets to the Sunrise Diner. Naturally, it's important and I imagine very difficult to keep it interesting with pretty much one location, and acting and dialogue, especially Eric Roberts (Bob Zany is also fun to watch as a terribly insecure husband) keep you tuned in.

There are some flashbacks thrown in of Eddie the fry cook's war time in the Middle East, and Sheila, the waitress, gets into a scuffle with her husband who stops by to leech money from her. Add a troubled couple robbing people -- it is all adds up to people getting desperate and perhaps willing to make a decision / deal that seems great at first but will yield tiresome sorrow in due, due time.

The most troubled but trying-to-tough-it-out, and the one we've come to care about the most (or second most at least) is the one who gets placed in the middle. And so important decisions are forced to be made.

Decent little film.

6 out of 10.

SEARCHING FOR A LIFE

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 8 April 2019]

This film is a character driven mystery. There are four couples in a late night restaurant, all have life issues. Ted (Bob Zany) is a mousey husband who complains he doesn't have a life. His wife Rachel (Nia Peeples) would rather text someone than have a conversation with him. Donald (Tom Sandoval) is a punk criminal killer/robber with serious anger management issues. He can't handle life. Grace (Kristen Doute) is his co-dependent girlfriend. Shelia (Jilanne Klaus) is a 30 year old waitress with an abusive boyfriend. She likes Eddie (Dingani Beza) the cook at the Sunrise Diner who is a war veteran searching for a life. The mystery couple is the ever unlikeable Eric Roberts as Daniel and the young Hannah (Haley Busch). Their conversation is shrouded in mystery and is the pivotal point of the movie.

Eddie supplies some first person narration in order to develop some simple philosophy and theme to this production. He is "searching for God" and now believes life is "just one big lottery."

The interactions of these four couples within the confines of a diner is the bulk of the film. If you need action, heavy plot, or an explanation of events, then I suggest you look elsewhere. This is an indie style film that allows the viewer to make their own conclusions. The film is clever at times and slow at others. It was good enough to draw me in.

Parental Guide: F-bombs. No nudity. Off screen implied sex.

Good Thriller!

[aliaszenderke · 10/10 · 24 March 2013]

This is a movie that keeps you frightening from the start to the end! Rarely there has been a movie with such a good dark and chilling atmosphere. I even see this movie more as an horror movie than as a thriller because of that.

23 Minutes is unique in many ways. The movies mood is already set right from the beginning on. The movie starts dark, intense, chilling and mysterious, a mood that is present throughout the entire movie. It's very depressing to watch and I mean that in a positive way of the meaning of the word. The mood is set by good camera work and lighting, or better said, the lack of it.